Researchers discover a genetic defect linked to pediatric liver disease(University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus) Researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, in collaboration with several other institutions, have discovered a genetic defect linked to biliary atresia (BA), the most common pediatric cause of end-stage liver disease, and the leading indication for liver transplantation in children. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - February 21, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news

Young bone marrow rejuvenates aging mouse brains, study finds(Cedars-Sinai Medical Center) A new study has found that transplanting the bone marrow of young laboratory mice into old mice prevented cognitive decline in the old mice, preserving their memory and learning abilities. The findings support an emerging model that attributes cognitive decline, in part, to aging of blood cells, which are produced in bone marrow. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - February 20, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news

Yale New Haven becomes first in Connecticut to perform pediatric heart transplants(Yale University) Yale New Haven Children's Hospital today announced that it has become the first hospital in Connecticut and Rhode Island to receive certification from the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) to perform pediatric heart transplants. UNOS serves as the nation's Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network under federal contract. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - February 20, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news

Remote control of transplanted cells in Parkinson'sCell-replacement therapies, including stem cell transplant, give hope to patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's. An EU-funded project aims to improve the outcome of such therapies, using magnetic manipulation of cells at the site of transplantation. (Source: EUROPA - Research Information Centre)Source: EUROPA - Research Information Centre - February 20, 2019 Category: Research Source Type: news

Fluorescing urine signals organ transplant rejection, could replace needle biopsies(Georgia Institute of Technology) Glowing pee may replace the biopsy needle: In detecting organ transplant rejection, a new nanoparticle has proven much faster and more thorough in the lab than a biopsy. When T cells mount their first attack on the organ's cells the nanoparticle sends an alarm signal into the urine that makes it fluoresce. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - February 19, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: news

CRISPR gene editing makes stem cells 'invisible' to immune system(University of California - San Francisco) UC San Francisco scientists have used the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing system to create the first pluripotent stem cells that are functionally 'invisible' to the immune system, a feat of biological engineering that, in laboratory studies, prevented rejection of stem cell transplants. Because these 'universal' stem cells can be manufactured more efficiently than stem cells tailor-made for each patient -- the individualized approach that dominated earlier efforts -- they bring the promise of regenerative medicine a step closer to reality. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - February 18, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news

You and your poo: Why fecal medicine could be the next big buzzMoving past the ‘ick' factor, researchers are studying the use of fecal transplants to treat a range of diseases from depression to obesity to cancer. It’s part of an emerging revolution in microbiome medicine. (Source: CBC | Health)Source: CBC | Health - February 16, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: News/Health Source Type: news

The New Old Age: Dialysis Is a Way of Life for Many Older Patients. Maybe It Shouldn ’ t Be.So-called conservative management can ease symptoms without dialysis in some people with kidney disease. But many of them are never given the option. (Source: NYT Health)Source: NYT Health - February 15, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: PAULA SPAN Tags: Kidneys Transplants Dialysis Organ Donation Death and Dying Elderly JAMA Internal Medicine (Journal) United States Renal Data System Veterans Affairs Department Source Type: news

This Valentine ’ s Day, A Broken Heart Is HealedROXBURY (CBS) – Cindy Washington of Roxbury was only 19 when she was diagnosed with heart failure so bad she went into cardiac arrest, twice, and both times she was revived by her mother.
Last Valentine’s Day, Cindy was on the transplant list, being kept alive with an artificial heart pump, but she still had the most unbelievable outlook about what others might have called her “broken heart.”
“You don’t have a broken heart,” Cindy said at the time. “It’s just a little sick and you need extra loving care. There’s nothing wrong with a little sick heart.”
This ...Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - February 14, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Health – CBS Boston Tags: Boston News Health Healthwatch Syndicated Local Brigham and Women's Hospital Cindy Washington Dr. Mallika Marshall Source Type: news

NIH trial to track outcomes of liver transplantation from HIV+ donors to HIV+ recipients(NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) The first large-scale clinical trial studying liver transplantation between people with HIV has begun at clinical centers across the US. The HOPE in Action Multicenter Liver Study will determine the safety of this practice by evaluating liver recipients for potential transplant-related and HIV-related complications following surgery. The study is sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and follows the 2018 launch of a similar study evaluating kidney transplantation between people with HIV. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - February 14, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news

Heart attack sufferers can now regain heart function with transplanted muscle cells(Natural News) People who have experienced a heart attack are sure to find some form of relief, thanks to the efforts of researchers from the University of Bonn. In the study, titled “Improved heart repair upon myocardial infarction: Combination of magnetic nanoparticles and tailored magnets strongly increases engraftment of myocytes,” researchers exhibited a procedure to repair cardiac... (Source: NaturalNews.com)Source: NaturalNews.com - February 13, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

A bioengineered factory for T-cells(Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences) Harvard engineers and stem cell biologists have developed an injectable sponge-like gel that enhances the production T-cells after a bone marrow transplant. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - February 11, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news

UC Health reports surge in transplant surgeriesUC Health, which runs the region ’s only comprehensive organ transplant program for adults, reported a large increase in such surgeries in 2018.
Nearly 300 kidney, liver and heart transplants were performed at the flagship University of Cincinnati Medical Center in 2018, a 25 percent increase over the previous year.
The rise in volume was attributed to a concerted outreach program to referring physicians as well as operational improvements and an increased awareness of organ donation.
“More… (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - February 8, 2019 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Barrett J. Brunsman Source Type: news

Vaccine-Preventable Infections Common After Peds TransplantFRIDAY, Feb. 8, 2019 -- Hospitalization for vaccine-preventable infections occurs in more than 15 percent of pediatric solid organ transplant recipients in the first five years after surgery, according to a study recently published in JAMA... (Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News)Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News - February 8, 2019 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news

Leviticus Cardio, Jarvik Heart unveil wireless LVADJarvik Heart and Leviticus Cardio yesterday unveiled a new collaborative wirelessly-powered left ventricular assist device and touted its recent first-in-human use.
An article on the new heart and its first implantation was recently published in the Journal for Heart and Lung Transplantation, the companies said.
The device, dubbed the Fully Implanted Ventricular Assist Device (FIVAD), is based on Coplanar Energy Transfer technology from Leviticus Cardio as well as a heart pump produced by Jarvik Heart, the companies said.
The system includes a fully implanted Jarvik 2000 VAD system which is powered wirelessly using both in...Source: Mass Device - February 7, 2019 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Fink Densford Tags: Cardiac Assist Devices Cardiac Implants Cardiovascular Featured Jarvik Heart Leviticus Cardio Source Type: news